


UNDERTALE: Filling in the Blanks

by AU_Lord



Series: Doublethink Universe [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bodyguard, Diplomacy, Family, Fun and Games, Gen, Incoming Wedding, Lighthearted, Love, Possible Adventure, Post pacifist, School, Some References, Some pain, friends - Freeform, some flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-07-18 10:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16116878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AU_Lord/pseuds/AU_Lord
Summary: It's been three months since the events of Doublethink, and everything is settling back in nicely. Meanwhile, the private security contractor Quicksilver has just been given a big new contract, and they assign their most capable agent, codenamed Blank to the job. His mission? To protect the life of the Monster Ambassador, Frisk Dreemurr. Now, Blank must follow the child ambassador around and keep Frisk safe as they live their life with their family. Little does Blank know, that with this family, you always get more than you bargain for... And might also end up all the better for it.





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I guess it's been a while. Either way, I have something new, and I hope you enjoy taking the first step into it! If you haven't read my other story, Doublethink, I highly recommend you do that first before reading this! You can find it linked in the summary. With that being said, enjoy!

PROLOGUE:

**January 5th, 211X. 1400 Hours. London, England. Quicksilver Security HQ.**

Nobody would know it just by staring at the office building from the outside, but the headquarters of the private security firm known as Quicksilver was a veritable castle. Like all castles, its reigning ruler; an aged, grey-haired man dressed in a pressed suit with a distinct burn mark on his face, sat perched in his quaint, comfortable office. He was free of any distractions from his work save a small cup of hot Earl Grey. The man known to his subordinates and old friends as Major Alpha, was a shrewd, intelligent man, always waiting for the next opportune moment when he and his business would profit handsomely.

In this particular instance, his patience was rewarded as the office phone on his desk began to ring. The Major checked the caller ID, and his brow rose in mild surprise. He recognized the name, he just didn’t expect this caller to reach out to him of all people. He picked up the phone.  
  
“To what do I owe this courtesy call?” The Major asked politely.

…

“Wonderfully frigid over here.” The Major answered dryly. “I’m actually surprised I’m hearing from you, considering the mess you’re contending with over in the colonies… Or is that why you’re calling?”

…

“Not my real name. Alpha.  Call me Major Alpha.”

…

“In my experience, nobody ever truly leaves the game.” The Major said.

…

“Your government was linked to a conspiracy against an entire bloody civilization.” The Major said dryly. “What the hell did you think would happen, given your country’s history on how it’s treated people?”

…

“And you want my help with this problem?” The Major asked.

…

“What do I care what other people think? It’s just good business.” The Major said flippantly.

…

“Let’s hear the job first, and then we can talk about pay.” The Major said.

…

“I’m guessing you mean that particular VIP?” The Major asked.

…

“Exactly why can’t you provide the protection yourself with all your resources?” The Major inquired. “You’re a goddamn government. What do you need us for?”

…

“And then you remembered you had a friend in England who just happened to hit a rough patch.” The Major said with a sense of brutal honesty. “How convenient.”

…

“No need to apologize. You lot DID need a scapegoat after all.” The Major said.

…

“Let’s discuss payment then.” The Major said. “How much is the president willing to pay?”

…

“That much? You really must be desperate…” The Major mused.

…

“…Alright. You’ve got a deal.” The Major said. He sounded pleased with himself. “I’ll be in touch shortly to discuss finalization.”

…

The Major leaned over, took out a key, and unlocked a drawer in the side of his desk. Inside was a series of file folders. He took them out and poured over them. Each file was a dossier on his top agents; the people whom he trusted above his rank and file guards for top-priority assignments. Like himself, each of them had been given codenames for use on the job, and they were sent all over the world on contracts. This, of course, combined with the fact that they all wore dark suits as uniforms consequentially gave off the impression that they were some kind of intelligence agency. Nobody really seemed to complain though, and in the Major’s opinion, it just made them look much cooler.

He looked at each of his agent’s pictures, and he recalled all he knew of each of them.

Hmm.

This last agent… The Major felt a pain in his chest about him. Agent Blank was as tough-as-nails as they came. He was rigidly devoted, but he had a very bad disposition… The Major blamed himself for that one. Blank rarely ever stayed at the agency HQ for longer than the time it took to go on his next assignment, or when he’d be forced to take paid vacations. A complete workaholic, the Major thought. He could never send this agent on this important assignment…

His ruminations were interrupted by the sound of the fax machine going off. The Secretary had sent over some more information regarding the VIP in question… He took the document and read it thoroughly…

Hmm…

He’d heard the stories of this particular VIP, but…

He looked at Blank’s dossier again.

The Major pressed a button on his phone. “Send Agent Blank to my office immediately, please.”

The employee’s voice sounded from the phone’s speaker. “Major, he’s about to leave for another-“

“I don’t give a damn.” The Major interrupted the employee on the other end of the line. “Send him here and tell him it’s urgent.”

Less than five minutes later, the door to the Major’s office opened. Standing in the doorway was a man of average height and build. He wore a suit with an orange tie and a set of shade. He was rarely ever seen without them on his visage.

“You wanted to see me, Major?” The agent known as Blank asked.

“I have a new assignment for you.” The Major said.

“…But I was about to-“ Blank began, but the Major cut him off.

“And I’m the goddamn boss.” The Major said. “This is a big one, so don’t screw this one up.”

“A big one?” Blank asked. “Isn’t that something more along Agent Trace’s line of work?”

“Well Agent Trace isn’t here, and you’re the only other available agent besides Agent Deuce.” The Major said flatly. “You’re being assigned to protect the life of an ambassador.

“An ambassador?” Blank asked.

“Yes, you may have heard of them.” The Major answered. “The Ambassador of the Monster Kingdom.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of this ambassador.” Blank mused, rubbing at his chin. “Supposed to be this complete pacifist, right?”

“Precisely.” The Major said. He handed Blank a file. “This contains everything you’ll need to know. Read it thoroughly.”

“Yes sir.” Blank said almost mechanically.

“Alright.” The Major said. “When you’re able, leave as soon as you can. Ah! One more thing!”

“What is it?” Blank asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Here.” The Major said, hand Blank a pin with the Quicksilver Company Logo on it. “Put it on your lapel.”

Blank complied. “What is this?”

“A way for them to recognize you.” The Major said. “Trust me, it’ll be of great help to you. I’ll be expecting frequent reports. How soon will you be prepared to leave for Ebottstown?”

Blank stared at the Major. “…Immediately.”

“Wonderful.” The Major said. “I’ve already purchased an airline ticket for you, and there’ll be a company car waiting for you upon your arrival, and directions to a hotel. Good luck.” He said as Blank turned to leave. With that, the Major sat back down and continued to drink his Earl Grey.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you stay a while! Feel free to leave kudos and comments! Especially comments! Odds are, I will respond!


	2. Room for Rent

CHAPTER 1: Room for Rent

**January 2nd, 211X. 1600 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**

Blank checked out of the hotel early, driving out of the city proper and into the Ebottstown Reservation. Right away, it felt like traveling backwards through time into the last century for him. Apparently, even though the monsters were by no means technologically primitive, they were still not used to the same level as humans. The houses looked peacefully suburban enough, but Blank knew that if his new charge really was as influential as the briefing said, he couldn’t afford to fall into complacency.

…As much info as he’d managed to gleam while only skimming through the file. The Ambassador of the Monster Kingdom… Blank imagined what kind of monster they’d be. Would they be tall? He decided to focus on the drive.

Odd… Blank thought as he finally drove down the road up to the address he’d read. He didn’t expect the Ambassador’s residence to be so… normal. At the very least, he was expecting some kind of large villa, but this house just seemed so… civilian.

He got out of the car, walked up to the front door, and knocked. A monster answered the door.

“Oh?” She asked, looking at Blank. “Who are you?”

“…I go by Agent Blank.” He said shortly. “I’m the Ambassador’s new bodyguard.”

“Ah! It is you!” She exclaimed, smiling. “I got a call earlier telling me to expect you! Oh, where are my manners?” She extended a handshake, which Blank took. “I am Toriel. I am the Ambassador’s mother- oh, Frisk was quite excited when they got the news!”

“Wait- mother?” Blank asked Toriel, bewildered.

Toriel didn’t answer him; she had turned away from the agent and towards the stairs in the doorway. “Frisk! He is here!”

“Coming, Mom!” A childish voice answered. Blank watched as what appeared to be an eleven-year old human descended the stairs. They walked over to the doorway, looked up at Blank, and smiled.

“Hi! I’m Frisk Dreemurr! I’m the ambassador of the Monster Kingdom!” They, like Toriel, also extended a handshake. Wait- Dreemurr? As far as Blank could recall, there wasn’t anything about a surname mentioned…

Toriel smiled benevolently at her child. She looked at Blank expectantly, and then he shook their hand. Frisk’s smile grew even bigger.

“I’m… I’m Agent Blank.” He said, adjusting his sunglasses a bit. “I’m your new bodyguard.”

“Oh cool!” Frisk said. “A codename! Are you  some kind of secret agent?”

“What? No, I’m not.” Blank said. Ugh… He thought. He really should’ve seen that one coming.

“Oh…” Frisk murmured, clearly disappointed. “That’s okay though!” Frisk said, immediately bouncing back to their amicable self. “You still look like a cool secret agent!”

“Why not come on in?” Toriel invited him inside.

Blank just stood there in the doorway, unsure how to react.

“Well?” Frisk asked, still smiling. “Come on in!”

Toriel seemed to read the look on Blank’s face as he stepped inside with his suitcase. “Frisk, I think he seems a bit tired after his long trip here… Where exactly did you come from?”

Blank stared for a moment, still a bit dumbstruck. Then he answered. “London, England.”

“Wow! That’s pretty far!” Frisk said, looking at Blank with a sense of childish wonderment. “Do you live there?”

“Actually, no…” Blank said. “I mean, you don’t hear me with an accent, do you?”

“Accents don’t indicate place of origin.” Frisk replied in a more informative manner, as if reciting a page from a book. Toriel smiled benevolently at them as they spoke.

“Right…” Blank said, now slightly flustered. “…Sorry.”

“It’s okay!” Frisk said, returning instantly to their excited, cheerful self. They looked at him and raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Is everything okay or…?”

“Oh, it’s fine!” Blank said hurriedly. “I was just…”

“Expecting an adult?” Frisk asked, grinning knowingly.

“…Yes.” Blank admitted a bit sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it! I get that all the time.” Frisk said.

“Why not let him get set up, Frisk?” Toriel asked. “I will show him to the guestroom… In the meantime, did you finish reading what you’ll bring up at the meeting?”

“Uhhhh….” Frisk said, caught off-guard.

“That is what I thought…” Toriel said, shaking her head. “Do not worry, I will come by and help you when I am done helping Agent Blank.”

“Actually, you can just call me Blank.” He said, shrugging.

“Fair enough! Blank it is!” Toriel said as she led Blank upstairs.

The upstairs hallway had three doors. One door was labeled Frisk’s Room. They passed the next one, which was most likely Toriel’s. They stopped at the last door. “Here we are!” Toriel said, opening the door for Blank.

The guestroom quaint and old fashioned, even for Monster Standards. However, it also gave off a feeling of comfort that he found quite agreeable. It was better than most of the lodgings his charges had seen fit to grant him; for one, it actually had a decent looking bed with clean sheets. If he had a dollar for every time he’d ether been resigned to a pull-out sofa or the familiar leather of his car seats…

“I am honestly surprised you did not know Frisk’s age.” Toriel said suddenly, snapping Blank out of his reverie. “Most people do, given that they watch the news…” She wore an expression of mixed intrigue and concern.

“…And I’m honestly surprised you’re so… old-fashioned. Compared to the rest of the city, that is.” Blank said, trying not to sound too defensive.

Toriel smiled in response. “Well, using an oven is much slower than using fire magic to cook. Also, interactive holograms and voice activated appliances seem a tad overrated if you ask me. Frisk _was_ excited to get their Nintendo Express however, so I can see how it might do some good... Just so long as they do not play videogames or use the computer for too long. Did you know that is bad for you?”

“Can’t be much worse than whatever’s got it out for them.” Blank replied as he sat down on the bed. Huh… Nice and springy.

“…You mean to say you do not know _why_ you have been assigned to protect my child?” Toriel asked. This time, her entire brow was raised.

“I… might’ve skimmed through the briefing…” Blank admitted sheepishly. Dammit, he thought. She caught him off-guard.

Toriel stared at him with what appeared to be suspicion. “…I certainly hope you do not treat all of your charges with such complacency, Agent Blank. When they told me a professional bodyguard would be coming to look after my child, I was expecting someone completely prepared.”

Blank said nothing. He merely gazed at Toriel through his shades.

“Nothing to say for yourself?” Toriel asked, frowning. “…Very well… For now, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and place my trust in you…” She looked at Blank furtively. “I learned not too long ago to not be too harsh in judging others, which is why I have not yet decided if this will be an acceptable arrangement or not.”

I will leave you to get settled in. Just know that my child’s life is in your hands… Remember that, will you not?”

And with that, she turned away and left the room, closing the door behind her.

_“That was bloody unprofessional if I do say so myself.”_

Blank stood up in surprise. He knew the Major could speak to him through his earpiece, but how did he know what happened just now!?

 _“Relax, Blank.”_ The Major spoke again. _“I’m contacting you through your earpiece.”_

“Okay, but how did you-“ Blank began to ask, still completely thrown, but as if he already knew the question, the Major cut in to answer.

 _“I can see and hear everything you can through the company pin on your lapel.”_ The Major said. Blank resisted the urge to groan. Now he had to deal with the Major breathing down his neck? Figures, he thought. Of course he wouldn’t be comfortable with the idea of Blank tackling such an important assignment on his own.

 _“Now, I had a feeling you might need my guidance for this one, and it turns out I was right. I gave you a whole goddamn dossier to read, and what’s this about not watching the news?!”_ The Major demanded.

“I just-”

 _“Rhetorical question, Blank.”_ The Major cut in again. _“Now, would you like me to brief you on this? Tell you why we’re needed as opposed to reading the damn file like I told you to?”_

Blank decided to swallow his pride. “Yes sir.”

 _“Good answer.”_ The Major responded. _“Alright… now, are you aware of what happened three months ago over in the United States?”_

“Somewhat.” Blank said. “Something to do with a massive government scandal, right?”

 _“Indeed.”_ The Major said. _“Three months ago, not too long after the Kingdom of Monsters was liberated from the Underground, the ambassador was the victim of a massive conspiracy in certain sublevels of the US Government. It was a dastardly plot to discredit the Ambassador with slander, distracting their friends long enough to leave them unguarded so they could be kidnapped and used for horrific ends.”_

“And this plan was stopped?” Blank asked.

 _“Indeed, after a daring rescue was undertaken by their friends.”_ The Major said. _“On top of that, the plot also included putting the Monster King, Asgore Dreemurr on trial.”_

“I heard of that one…” Blank said. “Something about having to kill six kids to free all the monsters. Not sure what I think of him.”

 _“Well, you’re likely going to get to meet him, so figure that out on your own damn time.”_ The Major said. _“Anyways, once it came to light that not only was it part of a plot against the kingdom, but also that the investigation was deliberately mishandled, the case became rather toxic for the government. Needless to say, the whole affair’s been very controversial, which has only served to draw even more unpleasant attention towards Ambassador Dreemurr.”_

“Even more attention?” Blank asked. “Did they get some already?”

 _“Of course they did, they’re an ambassador.”_ The Major said impatiently. _“Hell, they got goddamn death threats, in fact.”_

“Death threats?!” Blank repeated. “What the hell?! They’re only... what, ten-ish?”

 _“As insane as it sounds… No, because of it, we have this job, and it’s up to you to carry it out.”_ The Major said. ” _I don’t have to tell you how important this is, do I? This job is a national scope. If you screw this one up like that one job in Malaysia… well, neither one of us will be made national heroes out of this. Are we clear?”_

“Crystal.” Blank said.

_“Good. Now, why don’t you finish unpacking and go get to know your new charge?”_

“Major I don’t think-“ Blank began, but the Major cut him off again.

 _“Don’t give me that professionalism bollocks. Besides, they’re only a kid, so it can’t hurt to at least TALK to them.”_ The Major said. _“Consider it an order. Go and bloody socialize with the child ambassador. Alpha, out!”_

“Major-!” Blank began, but he knew there wouldn’t be any response. Sighing, he decided there wasn’t any point in putting it off. He opened the door, left the room, and headed down the hall to Frisk’s room. He knocked on the door.

“Come on in!” Frisk’s cheerful voice responded from inside. Blank opened the door.

“Agent Blank!” Frisk greeted with a wide smile. They were playing video games on their television. “You settled in yet?”

“More or less.” Blank said. “I thought now would be a good time to get to know you better.”

“Planning to take me to dinner?” Frisk said, winking and smirking flirtatiously.

Blank blinked behind his shades. “Did you just… flirt with me?” He asked.

“Mayyyyyyybe.” Frisk said, grinning.

Blank rolled his eyes behind his shades. “I don’t get paid enough for this…” He muttered under his breath.

 _“I can bloody hear you, remember Blank?”_ The Major reprimanded him.

“Lemme introduce you to someone!” Frisk said, seemingly unaware of Blank’s ire.

“Seriously, Frisk?” An annoyed voice came from the windowsill as Frisk grabbed Flowey by the pot. “What, are you just gonna shove me in someone’s face every first meeting or something?!”

“Flowey…” Frisk said in a slight warning.

Whatever unspoken words Frisk had in mind, they seemed to reach Flowey. The talking flower sighed, then he turned to face Blank with an unconvincingly sweet smile. “Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower! Nice to meet’cha!”

“…Riiiiiiiight.” Blank said. “So…” He said awkwardly. He clearly wasn’t expecting this. “Get any photosynthesis?”

“Woooooooooow! Golly, that’s SUCH a conversation-starter!” Flowey said with sarcasm dripping from every word. “Photosynthesis! As if I don’t get that EVERY DAY!”

“Flowey, c’mon!” Frisk said, frowning. “You said you were gonna be nice to him!”

“And you said he wasn’t gonna be stupid like I said he would be!” Flowey snapped back. “Looks like we BOTH lied!”

“Hey, I’m right here!” Blank said, folding his arms and sounding annoyed. “What the hell’s your problem?!”

“Language!” Flowey chided, wearing a sickly smile. “You don’t want Toriel to catch you swearing in the house!”

“Guys!” Frisk shouted, getting both of their attention. “Flowey, remember what you promised? You said you’d be nice! Am I gonna have to call off the deal?”

Flowey glared at Frisk. “Fine… I’ll play nice.”

“Good!” Frisk said, satisfied. They turned to Blank. “Blank, you wanna play Mario Kart: World Prix with me? I could use a Player 2!”

“Hey!” Flowey protested. “I thought I was your Player 2! You can’t make someone else your Player 2! It’s not right!”

“Don’t worry, Flowey! Nobody can replace you!” Frisk said with a smile. Flowey glared at Frisk in suspicion, gazing a hole in their face, but they proved adamant. Defeated, Flowey sighed.

“Fine, he can be substitute Player 2. But you’re only a stupid stand-in, got it!?” Flowey said, narrowing their eyes at the bodyguard.

“I don’t know…” Blank said. “It’s been a while since I played any Mario Kart.”

“Aww, c’mon! It’ll be fun!” Frisk said. “It’ll be a great way to get acquainted!”

“You sure?” Blank asked. “I heard this game destroys friendships.”

“You’re thinking of Mario Party!” Frisk said, grinning. “Now c’mon! Let’s race!”

 _“Blank, I hereby order you to take up Frisk’s offer since you’re being so goddamn thick about it.”_ The Major chimed in through Blank’s earpiece. _“You’re going to be shadowing them for quite a bit, so you might as well make it a good time for the both of you.”_

“Again, what’s his problem?” Blank asked as Frisk handed them a second controller.

“I’ll tell you later.” Frisk said, setting up the game. “Anyways, I call Metal Rosalina!”

“Alright, then I’ll pick… uhh…” Blank trailed off, looking at all the characters Frisk had. “Okay, what the heck?! This is a lot more characters than I remember!”

Frisk smiled patiently. “Why don’t you go with Baby Wario?” They suggested.

Blank raised an eyebrow. “How do I know you’re not sabotaging me?” He asked warily.

Frisk mock-gasped. “How could you say such a thing of me?” They played at being overdramatic.

“Whatever… I’ll play along.” Blank said picking the suggested character.

Soon after, Frisk picked the track, and the race began. Blank was rusty, but he managed to get a head start thanks to Frisk accidentally overdoing the boost trick at the start of the race. After two laps full of red shells, banana peels, Power Mushrooms, and a few times a Blooper splattered ink on the screen, Frisk and Blank had reached the home stretch.

“C’mon, Frisk! You can’t let this guy beat you!!!” Flowey urged as the final lap began. He’d stopped pretending to sulk and decided to watch.

“Looks like I’ve got this wrapped up…” Blank smirked. He was halfway through the course in the lead while Frisk was several places behind. Just then, Frisk hit a double-item box and got three Mushrooms and a Boo. They wasted no time catching up into second place. Frisk used the Boo, using it to steal an item from one of the CPU racers. Blank’s eyes widened behind his shades when he saw what it was.

It was a spiny shell. Every Kart-racer’s worst nightmare.

“No, no no!” Blank said in desperation as he sped towards the finish line, but it was too late. Frisk fired the shell. It sped off towards Blank.

Boom.

Blank gritted his teeth as Baby Wario was sent flying from the blue explosion. He watched as Frisk took first place. Baby Wario, being a small character high in the speed and acceleration stats, didn’t take long to recover, but he’d already fallen to third as he crossed the finish line.

Blank sighed. “GG.” He said.

“GG!” Frisk said, grinning. “Rematch?” They offered.

“No thanks.” Blank said.

“C’mon, Blank!” Frisk said, and then they grinned. “How bout’ I take you to dinner instead? It’ll be a magical evening!” They tried flirting with the bodyguard.

At this, Blank stood up and walked towards the door. Although he said nothing, he was clearly agitated. Frisk looked astonished, and Flowey glared at his back.

Blank looked back at them as his hand found the doorknob, and then he let out a deep breath. “I’m gonna finish unpacking.” He said exasperatedly, leaving Frisk’s room.

Blank called the Major in frustration as he reached his guestroom. “Is this gonna be the whole damn job?! Am I just gonna be stuck with babysitting duty?! Major, I think I need a reassignment…”

 _“Are you bloody kidding me?! You’d better shape up and get the lead out if you want this mission to be a success!”_ The Major snapped back, sounding mad. _”You’d best show better morale than that rubbish, or you won’t have ANY assignments at all! And I can guarantee nobody else would take you on if you left your post with that attitude!”_

Blank scowled, resisting the urge to punch a hole in the wall. It wasn’t his house, after all. Dammit, he thought. Why did the Major have to be right all the time?

He settled instead for aggressively unpacking the rest of the day.

**January 2nd, 211X. 1800 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**

“Dinner is ready!” Toriel called. The pie she had cooked with magic had now cooled down.

“Coming, Mom!” Frisk called, and then they arrived down the stairs and into the dining room carrying Flowey. Toriel was already seated at the head of the table. Flowey eyed the pie hungrily.

“Someone is eager to eat!” Toriel said endearingly, as Frisk sat down next to her and grinned at the sight of the pie.

“Is the flavor what I think it is?” Frisk asked in anticipation.

“Butterscotch-Cinnamon!” Toriel said with a smile.

“YES!” Frisk shouted, pumping their fists.

“Frisk, inside voices please.” Toriel reprimanded softly, knowing that their excitement couldn’t be helped.

“Sorry!”

“Hmm? Where is Agent Blank?” Toriel asked. “Is he not going to try the pie I worked so hard to make?”

“I’ll get him!” Frisk volunteered. “We gotta all eat together!”

“Why?” Flowey asked irritably. He was seated next to Frisk. “It’s not like he’s family or anything.”

“You just wanna eat now!” Frisk said teasingly. Flowey huffed and turned away. Toriel giggled at their antics as Frisk ran to get Blank.

It had taken some getting used to, but welcoming Flowey into Toriel’s home wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it’d be. For one, he hardly ever spoke to her, and when the two did speak, it was very limited conversation. It was really strange; Toriel thought he’d be more at home living with Asgore, given his almost encyclopedic knowledge of flora and botany in general, but Frisk told her that they were his only friend… or the closest thing to a friend anyways.

Perhaps it had been that loneliness which had driven Flowey to such murderous compulsions, but those times were long past, she thought. Flowey had pulled through for Frisk during the EXP incident, and for that, Toriel was willing to look past his misdeeds and assist Frisk in making his residency here as comfortable and as loving as possible.

…Though sometimes, every now and then, Toriel would sometimes catch him looking at her with such intense sadness that it stirred certain… feelings in her. She couldn’t tell what it was.

“He’s here, Mom!” Frisk announced as they led Blank by the hand to the dining room table. The bodyguard looked around, admiring the huge table. “Nice setup you got here… You guys eat with a lot of people?”

“Sometimes!” Frisk answered. “But not always. Usually, it’s just me, Mom, and Flowey! And now you too!”

“Can we eat NOW?” Flowey demanded.

“Of course! I will serve you each a piece of pie!” Toriel smiled as she stood up to do so.

“…So, what flavor is it?” Blank asked as he sat down across from Frisk.

“Butterscotch-Cinnamon!” Frisk answered. “Mom only makes it on weekends and special occasions!”

“And it’s sooooooooo good!” Flowey added happily as he was served. He began to chow down as soon as the slice reached his vicinity.

Frisk got their piece and began eating. “Mmmmmmmmm! Really good like always, Mom!” They said in between bites.

“Frisk, sweetie, do not talk with your mouth full…” Toriel chided as she served herself last after giving Blank his piece.

Frisk nodded and continued to eat, clearly happy to focus on the pie. Blank, meanwhile, hadn’t yet touched his pie. It wasn’t that he wasn’t grateful; it was just that he wasn’t used to his charges providing food for him. Usually, he had to get some cheap takeout.

“What’s the matter, Blank?” Toriel asked inquiringly. “You need to keep up your strength if you want to keep Frisk safe!”

 _“Blank, eat the pie.”_ The Major commanded, chiming in. _“It was clearly made with love and I don’t get to have any, so eat, goddammit!”_ Blank felt annoyance come over him, so he finally decided to appease everyone and take a bite.

…

Oh wow, this was GOOD. This was the good stuff! Blank found himself very much in favor of the way the cinnamon spice accentuated the sweetness of the butterscotch, melding together for quite a pleasant taste!

Blank smiled at Toriel as he swallowed his first bite. “This is really good pie! Thank you!”

Toriel waved her hand in a gesture of modesty. “I am glad you like it!”

Flowey groaned. “Ugh. This means less leftovers for me, doesn’t it?” The flower scowled as he finished his pie slice.

“Don’t worry Flowey, there’s plenty!” Toriel reassured him. Flowey looked skeptical at this.

“So whaddya think, Blank?” Frisk asked, wriggling their eyebrows and smirking. “I told you it’d be a magical evening!”

Blank sputtered on his next slice of pie, causing Toriel to put her hands to her mouth in surprise, and then shot Frisk a look. Flowey and Frisk both laughed at the sight.

…Until Frisk began to choke on a piece of pie.

Blank immediately rushed into action before Toriel could even raise her eyes in shock as her child began to cough and choke. In less than two seconds, Blank was behind Frisk, performing the Heimlich Maneuver and dislodging the rogue foodstuff from their windpipe.

“Oh… Oh my god!” Toriel gasped, stricken with both terror and relief. “Are you okay, sweetie?!”

“I’m…” Frisk coughed, still catching their breath. “I’m okay, Mom…”

Blank sighed in relief. He could barely hear the Major praising him for his fast reaction and success.

Toriel turned to look at the bodyguard. “Well, if I had any doubts before, you have certainly proved me wrong! Thank you, Agent Blank!”

“…You can just call me Blank, ma’am.” The agent said.

“Nonsense, you can call me Toriel!” She said kindly and then turned to Frisk, who had managed to recover. “Frisk, sweetheart, you have been acting a lot more… forward towards people as of late. It can be very funny at times, but I cannot help but worry in light of all this. Perhaps you might wish to tone it down?”

“I’m sorry…” Frisk mumbled, looking away.

“So they ARE always this flirty?” Blank asked. “They tried it with me when I greeted them.”

Toriel shook her head and smiled. “Oh, they do that to everyone, even me! Not long after we first met in the Underground, they flirted with ME, and then right after, asked if they could call me Mom!” Toriel said, giggling.

“Mooooooooom!” Frisk blushed in embarrassment.

“Seriously, Mx.?” Blank asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked at Toriel. “You sure they’re not just going through… changes?”

“HEY!” Frisk yelled indignantly.

“Inside voices, Frisk!” Toriel chided lightly, but she was still giggling. “They probably are, no doubt.” Toriel said, shaking her head. “It will not be long before they turn into a teenager…”

“I’m right here!” Frisk pouted, puffing their cheeks, still red.

“I’m just…” Blank began, but Toriel cut him off. “Doing your job?” she grinned. “Nonsense, Blank. You saved Frisk’s life!” Frisk looked at Blank, smiled, and nodded in agreement. “Yeah… you did.”

“Can I get my seconds now PLEASE?!” Flowey rudely shouted.

Toriel sighed. “Flowey, you can stand to be nicer. Speaking of seconds, I say Blank should get thirds for their good deed!”

“Yeah!” Frisk agreed.

“HEY!” Flowey shouted, looking incensed now. “You NEVER let anyone have thirds! How come HE gets to when he hasn’t even been here for ONE DAY!?”

“Flowey, if you do not stop with this rudeness, you will not get any at all next time!” Toriel said, suddenly sounding stern.

That shut him up.

Frisk leaned over and whispered to Flowey. “Don’t worry! I haven’t forgotten the deal!”

Flowey glared at Frisk. “You’d better not… I want my thirds too…” He whispered.

Ah, so that was the deal, Blank realized as Toriel served him some extra helpings of pie. “Toriel, you don’t have to-“

“After what you did, I am going to absolutely spoil you whether you like it or not!” Toriel said with a sweet smile on her face. Blank was about to object further, but the Major chimed in.

_“For godsake, Blank! You just won her approval and gratitude after mucking up your chance to make a first impression! Don’t be so goddamn modest!”_

Blank sighed. So that was that. He looked back at Frisk, and at Toriel, and at Flowey, who noticed and glared at him in pure jealousy.

At least he knew things certainly wouldn’t be boring like he thought they’d be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, and a kudo if you haven't already!


	3. Out to Lunch

CHAPTER 2: Out to Lunch

**January 3rd, 211X. 0900 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**

The alarm clock went off at precisely 9:00 AM, and Blank once again resisted the urge to shoot the blasted thing simply for doing its job and settled for mentally cursing it out instead. Annoyed at having his sleep pattern disturbed, he grumbled soft noises of complaint into his pillow, trying to recapture the repose he’d been in to no avail. Sitting up with a yawn, it took him a few seconds to remember that he had gone out on a new assignment. What’s more, it had been to protect a high-profile VIP, no less. Blaming how comfortable the bed had been, he stretched his arms in an effort to shake off the sleepiness. Proceeding with a fresh change of clothes in hand, he entered the bathroom, took a shower, got dressed, and headed out. All he needed now was a cup of coffee, he thought as he holstered his taser. Then, he’d be ready for the day.

The ambassador was most likely still asleep, he thought, and snuck past their door, proceeding to head downstairs. He looked around, still getting used to his new surroundings; he was still wary of making another mistake the way he’d fumbled yesterday. He took a moment to appreciate the tranquil, homely atmosphere. While this certainly wasn’t quite what he’d imagined when he found he’d be protecting an ambassador, he could still see the appeal it must have. To just live a happy, normal life and go to school… Anything else surely would’ve reminded the ambassador of the politics, Blank thought.

Deciding now would be a good time to wash out the dry taste in his mouth which visited him daily every morning with a nice hot cup of coffee, he headed to the kitchen and quickly found the coffee machine. Choosing a strong, black blend, Blank readied the machine and poured himself a mug. Taking a whiff of the fumes, he felt his senses sharpen as the bitterness permeated his mind. It was still too hot to drink though… so he made his way to the dining room, finding Toriel already awake and also enjoying a cup of coffee.

“Good morning to you, Blank!” Toriel greeted him with a smile.

“Oh...! Morning, Mrs. Dreemurr.” Blank said in slight surprise as he sat down at the large table, taking a sip.

“Err…” Toriel said, giving an awkward expression. “I do not go by that name, actually…”

“Sorry!” Blank said almost immediately after she uttered the last syllable. Dammit, he thought, don’t screw this up again… “The ambassador uses that last name, so I thought-“

“Oh, it is perfectly fine! It is just my ex-husband’s surname.” Toriel said, waving her hand at him. “Truth be told, it happens a lot more than you might think. I suppose it would be bound to happen, me being the former queen and all.” She laughed softly.

As Blank exhaled in relief, Toriel looked at him with an endearing smile. “We don’t bite, you know… Relax a little, will you not? You can simply call me Toriel.”

“Alright…” Blank said, visibly more relaxed, but still maintaining his constant demeanor of vigilance. “So Toriel… why does the Ambassador-“ Blank began, but Toriel cut him off again.

“You do not have to call them that, you know.” Toriel said gently. “You can just call them Frisk.”

Blank shook his head, feeling uncomfortable at the idea of such familiarity. “I’d… rather I just keep things professional, if it’s all the same…”

Toriel sighed. She seemed… disappointed. “Very well. You were saying?”

“Why do they call themselves by Dreemurr then?” Blank asked, taking a sip.

“Well, they did not start doing that until recently, due to… past issues I had with Asgore.” Toriel explained. “Besides, legally-speaking, it was simply easier that way. They did not have a surname before I decided to adopt them.” She took another sip of her coffee.

“Huh…” Blank murmured with intrigue, mirroring her actions and taking another sip from his cup. “Was it hard? Adopting them?”

“Not as much as you would think.” Toriel said, reminiscing. “Thanks to the protection this country gives, the Kingdom still exists as its own entity, and Frisk was given Kingdom citizenship when we were all freed. Under our own laws, I was able to adopt them without any fuss.” Blank could tell from her matter-of-fact tone that she was quite happy things went down so easily.

“Let me guess.” Blank said dryly. “You were still met with disapproval?” It seemed obvious to ask.

“Some people- some humans, were quite vocal about it, yes.” Toriel said. “Some people actually thought I was a danger to Frisk- typical fearmongering towards monsters- and I still had met with a social worker, but that was just a courtesy at that point. Merely something to just silence the naysayers. Nobody could really stop it even if they wanted, especially because they are the Ambassador.” She took another sip.

“Did being the former queen have anything to do with it too?” Blank asked.

“Oh, no.” Toriel beamed. “I am quite proud to say that I have my child simply because I am a good parent, and I think that simply speaks for itself.”

“I take a look around and I find myself agreeing.” Blank said, smiling at the décor. “You know how to make a house feel like a home.”

“Why thank you!” Toriel said appreciatively. “Things have only gotten better in my book. We are this close to finally being able to move out of the reservation and start living in the city. Exciting, is it not?”

“I can imagine.” Blank said, finishing his coffee. Toriel finished hers soon after.

“Well, I’m going to make some breakfast.” Toriel said, smiling. “Would you care to help me?”

“Alright. Why the heck not?” He asked, following Toriel into the kitchen, carrying his empty mug.

About half an hour later, the house was filled with the aroma of cooking pancakes just waiting to be buttered and have syrup poured over them. Toriel held the frying pan with one hand while using the other to heat it with fire magic. Blank’s mouth watered as he helped pour the batter into the pan and flipped the iconic breakfast when it was ready. Toriel spotted the look on his face and smiled knowingly.

“Not yet, Blank.” Toriel scolded gently. “Don’t worry, it won’t be long before we get to eat.”

“What makes you say that?” Blank asked, but then Toriel was counting down.

“Five… four… three… two… one…”

“Pancaaaaaaaakes!” Frisk’s voice rang down from upstairs. The next thing Blank heard was a loud and rapid descent down the stairs as Frisk came down carrying Flowey, who was grinning hungrily at the sight of them in the kitchen. His face set into a glare as he spotted Blank.

“So, you trying to get thirds on pancakes too?” Flowey sneered.

“No, Flowey.” Toriel responded with what seemed to be practiced patience. “Blank simply got up earlier and decided to help me make breakfast. Is he not such a gentleman?”

Blank looked away as Frisk grinned at him. “First you save my life and then you make me breakfast? You’re awesome!”

“More like those pancakes aren’t the only thing he’s buttering up…” Flowey muttered spitefully.

“So now that the Ambassador’s here, does this mean we can eat?” Blank asked.

“That is right!” Toriel said, smiling. “Frisk, come and get your batch, then Blank, then Flowey.”

“Why do I have to get mine LAST?!” Flowey howled.

“Because rude little flowers certainly do not get to go first.” Toriel chided in her still-patient, parental tone of voice.

Flowey grumbled as Frisk and Blank were served their breakfast, but he didn’t make any more complaints.

After everyone had their fill of pancakes, Frisk took Flowey back upstairs. Blank decided to report in to the Major and headed to his room as well.

“Major?” Blank spoke into his earpiece, contacting the Major’s frequency. “Come in?” He waited for the response.

His wait only lasted two seconds. _“Ah, Blank!”_ The Major greeted his agent amicably as if they were having a casual meeting. _“Enjoying the quiet life thus far?”_

“Are you testing me?” Blank asked with a raised eyebrow. He hated when the Major did this- Blank suspected that it was merely yet another excuse for his boss to bust his chops.

 _“We’ve both been alive in this business too long to trust that things STAY quiet.”_ The Major said matter-of-factly.

“Well, I haven’t let Mario Kart and homemade pancakes lower my guard…” Blank said with a hint of sarcasm.

_“Well you certainly weren’t by any means complacent the other night when you saved the ambassador from choking.”_

“I know.” Blank replied simply. “Toriel noticed too, you know.”

 _“Indeed.”_ The Major said. _“You’ve certainly managed to make up for the bad first impression you made earlier… Not to mention your morale.”_

Blank didn’t respond to that. He knew the Major would notice the silence.

 _“Blank, there’s no point moping about it- that won’t help either.”_ The Major said. _“You took one step backwards and three steps forward from what I can see. I’m not chiding you, I’m telling you to keep it up! I’m here to help you, not judge you, goddammit!”_

Blank smiled and shook his head. Freakin’ Major and his damn-near endless zeal, he thought.

 _“Right now, everything seems to be in order. Let’s make sure they stay that away. Alpha, out!”_ With that, the Major signed off. He wondered what the rest of the day would be like when a knock came on his door. “It’s open!” He called out.

The door opened, revealing Frisk. They were carrying Flowey, who was wearing an expression of resignation. Whatever was going on, he seemed to accept his fate. “You wanna play some Pictionary with us?” They asked with their usual eager manner.

Blank didn’t respond. He was taking a moment to decide, clearly not used to having their charges invite him for fun and games.

“If you don’t wanna, that’s okay!” Frisk said. Damn it, Blank thought, he took too long to respond! “I can-“

“I’ll join you.” Blank found himself saying as he stood up. “One or two games can’t hurt, right?”

Frisk’s face burst into a big smile. “We’ve got four people, Mom!” They called out towards the door. Turning back to Blank, Frisk offered him their hand. “C’mon!”

Blank took it. Rolling his eyes, he followed them downstairs.

A few hours later, Flowey had won the most rounds out of everyone so far, but even he was having difficulty deciphering exactly what Frisk had drawn.

“Frisk.” He said with the most deadpan voice he could muster. “What am I looking at here?”

“Can’t tell you!” Frisk said in a singsong voice. “You have to guess!”

“Frisk, I’ve seen kindergartners make better scribbles than this garbage.” Flowey said, growing irritated. “What is that? Some kind of… animal hybrid?”

“Nope!” Frisk said.

“Is it a monster?” Toriel asked, equally stumped as Flowey.

“Nuh-uh!”

“Okay, you’re just making these drawings look like garbage on purpose just to trip me up!” Flowey accused, glaring at Frisk. “Tell me!”

“Wait until Blank guesses.” Frisk said. “Blank?

“Hmm…” Blank murmured, looking at the image. It appeared to be something with several legs, big eyes, two antennae, and a set of wings, but it also looked like it was covered in fur.

“It almost looks like a Whimsun…” Toriel mused.

“Nope!” Frisk said, grinning.

“What is it?!” Flowey shouted, exasperated.

 _“If you want, I can tell you.”_ The Major chimed in for the first time. _“I know exactly what it is! Saw it myself on the show ‘World Wide Weird!’”_

Blank shook his head. He wasn’t going to cheat…

“Well Blank?” Frisk asked, eager for an answer.

Blank looked hard at the image again, trying to form an idea of what it was. It actually looked quite familiar to him… Where had he-

_Hey partner! Look at this freaky thing! It’s from Venezuela! Looks like a freaking moth and a poodle had a baby!_

Blank shook himself out of the reverie. _Not now,_ he thought. Not on the job… He suddenly wished he said no, and answered in a defeated tone. “…A Venezuelan Poodle Moth.” If he was going to get it wrong, he thought, he might as well score some points for creativity… Assuming that was a thing.

Frisk looked stunned. “That’s right! You got it, Blank!”

“Wait, what?” Blank asked in surprise. That was the right answer?!

“WHAT?!” Flowey raged. “He’s RIGHT?! HOW?!” Flowey seemed to be as equally sore a loser as much as he was usually a winner… Which was saying a lot.

Toriel took out her phone and looked up an image. “Well, what do you know? Here it is!” She showed the three of them the results.

“BALONEY!” Flowey shouted. “YOU LET HIM WIN, FRISK!” The talking houseplant had gone off the handle.

“I did not!” Frisk said, placing their hands on their hips.

“THE HELL YOU DIDN’T!”

“Language!” Toriel scolded, suddenly glaring and speaking in a stern voice. “Flowey, I will not tolerate ANYONE speaking to Frisk that way! Understood?”

Flowey grumbled in response.

“Understood?” Toriel said more sternly. Frisk looked uncomfortable.

“I get it, I GET IT!” Flowey replied irritably. “I still say Frisk let him win…”

“What time is it?” Frisk asked suddenly.

“Around quarter of 11, why?” Blank asked, checking his watch.

“You are meeting with Sans and Papyrus for lunch, are you not, Frisk?” Toriel asked.

“Oh, gosh, that’s right!” Frisk said. “I almost forgot!”

Toriel nodded. “Frisk, when exactly did you say you would be getting home again?”

“Around 1:30, I think.” Frisk said. “It shouldn’t be too long.”

Wait. Getting home? Frisk was going out somewhere? Blank decided to inquire. When he did, Frisk responded with a smile as always. “I’m heading out to lunch today with my friends, Sans and Papyrus!”

“I’m coming with you.” Blank said almost automatically. He was half-expecting Frisk to protest his accompaniment, or try to find some way to lose him. No way in hell was he going to slack off now that he was on a roll, and he didn’t care if the kid approved or not. He’d been in the security business for too long to take any flak from charges who considered him overbearing.

To his surprise though, Frisk nodded. “I getcha! You’re gonna follow me around, right? Keep me safe?”

“That is right!” Toriel smiled. “Now that you mention it, I like the idea of him accompanying you!”

“Plus, you’ll get to meet my friends!” Frisk said, increasingly growing excited. “It’ll be an adventure!”

Blank felt a pang of worry as these words were spoken. What was he getting himself into? He also felt guilt- why was he so certain this kid wasn’t going to approve? He shook his head and went to get his coat.

 

**January 3rd, 211X. 1200 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**

Blank stood outside of Frisk’s house, standing in front of the company car the Major was letting him loan. It was a decent vehicle, made of metal as opposed to plastic. The Major called it a muscle car, built to last. The side windows were completely darkened, matching the metallic black chasse which framed the vehicle.

His wait ended when the front door opened, revealing Frisk wearing a purple coat and beanie over their usual attire. They smiled as they saw Blank waiting for them.

“Hey, I’m sorry if I kept you waiting too long!” Frisk said, looking slightly guilty. “I didn’t mean to make you wait out in the cold!”

Blank raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the child’s concern for his well-being, but he brushed it off. “Hey, someone had to start the car. The last thing I need is for my charge to freeze their butt off on cold leather seats.”

Frisk giggled. The grin nearly split their face. “I guess you could say I’d freeze my _ice_ off!”

Blank rolled his eyes. He highly doubted Toriel would approve of that kind of humor. “Very funny, Mx.” He opened the passenger door for them and beckoned for them to enter. Frisk, still smiling and snickering, entered the car. Seconds later, Blank was in the driver’s seat. He inputted the address to Frisk’s friends’ house into his GPS, setting the route.

“Can we put on some tunes?” Frisk asked as they fastened their seat belt.

“You’re the boss, Mx.” Blank said, nodding as he drove out away from the house. Toriel waved goodbye from the window, and Frisk waved back. He wasn’t really in the mood for music, but he didn’t really have a say in the matter. He pressed the button on the dashboard radio. The song that came on was one he’d heard before a few times, though he couldn’t quite place it. He DID like it though…

“Hey, it’s MTT’s newest hit single!” Frisk pointed out, smiling and bobbing their head to the music.

“MTT?” Blank asked. “Wait, isn’t he that android singer?”

“Singer, actor, TV show host, you name it, he’s all over it!” Frisk answered. “He’s been a really big help with my political stuff too!”

“Celebrity endorsement, huh?” Blank asked, smirking as he activated the car using his biometrics.

“Yep!” Frisk said. “Papyrus is a big fan of his too!”

“Why don’t you tell me about these friends we’re meeting?” Blank asked as he drove. He found himself liking the music. He briefly considered looking into more of MTT’s work when this job was done.

“Alright, so Sans and Papyrus? They’re skeletons, and they’re also brothers. Papyrus is the tall one, Sans is the short one. Papyrus loves puzzles, and Sans loves goofing off. They’re both really awesome!” Frisk explained.

“Which one is the older brother?” Blank asked.

Frisk only shrugged in response. “They don’t think it really matters. They take care of each other.”

“Huh.” Blank said as he turned the corner towards their apartment complex. “Hyde Avenue, huh?” He asked for confirmation.

“Yep! The Dusk Buildings!” Frisk pointed out. Blank looked at the building. It looked like it could’ve been a hotel at one point, but it was way past its prime. Still, he had to admire how reliable it looked, even in its old age.

“There they are!” Frisk pointed out their window, excitedly. “Sans and Papyrus! They’re waiting for us outside!”

With that, Blank stopped the car and parked outside the apartment building. He and Frisk got out, walking up to the skeleton brothers.

“GREETINGS, FRISK!” Papyrus said in their usual jovial manner as Frisk approached.

“sup, kid?” Sans greeted lazily. “who’s this guy?”

“This is Agent Blank!” Frisk introduced their bodyguard to the skeleton brothers. “He’s my bodyguard!”

“BODYGUARD?!” Papyrus’ eye sockets gleamed with excitement as he approached the humans. “WOWIE! THAT’S LIKE HAVING YOUR VERY OWN ROYAL GUARD!”

“Uhhh… I guess?” Blank asked awkwardly. What was this skeleton’s deal?

“TELL ME! DO YOU KNOW ANY SPECIAL ATTACKS?” Papyrus asked.

“Ummm… No?” Blank answered. “All I’ve really got is a taser and a gun.”

“OH? WELL LET ME SHOW YOU MINE!” Papyrus said, summoning a large bone in his hand.

“Wait- what?!” Blank exclaimed, suddenly alert.

“IT IS MY BEST ATTACK!” Papyrus said. “I SAVE IT FOR WHEN I NEED IT, BUT FOR YOU, I’LL MAKE AN EXCEP-“

The next reaction was instantaneous. Within the next few seconds, Blank had rushed forward, not hearing Frisk’s cry of protest or seeing Sans’s left eye socket light up. He had grabbed Papyrus by the arm, and thrown him over his shoulder. Papyrus was knocked flat on his back onto the snow, a look of surprise on his face. Blank was still holding his skeletal arm in an iron grip.

“WAIT, STOP!” Papyrus said. “I HAVEN’T SHOWN YOU MY ATTACK YET! WAIT YOUR TURN!”

“Blank, no!” Frisk shouted, running up to Blank. Before they could try and defuse the situation, a blue heart-shape began to glow on Blank’s chest. His eyes widened behind his shades when he found he couldn’t move a muscle. “What the-?! What is this?!” He shouted with trepidation as he realized he was completely paralyzed.

“i’d listen to the kid if i were you, pal…” Sans warned, holding out a glowing hand as his eye lit up. The shorter skeleton lifted his glowing hand, and Blank was lifted upward into the air, floating in place a few feet off the ground.

“Oh jeez- What the hell is this?!” Blank shouted, panicked.

“Sans, put him down!” Frisk cried. “He didn’t mean it!” Papyrus got to his feet, staring at the spectacle.

Blank looked down at Sans. The skeleton’s left eye was glowing blue and his face was set into an unsettling grin. Blank stared back at Sans, deciding not to give the skeleton the satisfaction of seeing him afraid.

“alright.” Sans said, shutting off his magic. Immediately after, Blank fell to the ground with a yelp. The shorter skeleton approached Blank as Papyrus stood up, reassuring Frisk that he was fine and wearing his usual smile as he did so.

“SANS…” Papyrus asked warily. He knew his brother could be… vindictive, when it came to anyone who meant his family harm. But this human didn’t mean it…

“listen.” Blank turned towards Sans voice, and found the smaller skeleton offering a hand to help him up. The bodyguard looked at the bony hand with wariness. “that’s not how you greet a new pal. so, let’s start over, eh?

Blank looked at Sans as though he’d grown a second skull. What the hell was this!? Frisk, however, smiled encouragingly at the bodyguard. He felt even more confused, but he was Frisk’s friend, right?

“i can tell by the look on your face that you’re pretty _rattled._ ” Sans said, grinning. “which is why it’s a good thing you’re coming with us to get some grub, right? i know a good place- i’ve got a tab.”

Frisk looked expectant. Blank sighed and gripped Sans’ hand. The skeleton pulled the bodyguard to his feet. “next time, don’t be such a _wet blank-et_ , eh?”

Frisk held back laughter, while Papyrus looked exacerbated. Blank for his part, looked sullen. Wet Blanket? He glared at Sans from behind his shades. He looked away, feeling embarrassed. _“I’ll have to remember that one later…”_ The Major chimed in, unable to be heard by the others. _“You’ve earned that one, you oaf...”_

Frisk tapped his shoulder. “Can we talk?”

Blank, sensing the lecture that was about to happen, stood up and walked over to the other side of the car. The skeleton brothers simply watched and waited. Frisk had their hands placed on their hips, looking disappointed. “What the heck was that?” They asked.

“I…” Blank began, but trailed off, not having anything to say. He had completely screwed up and he knew it.

Frisk sighed, and began to speak. “Blank, I understand Papyrus startled you talking about special attacks, but he’s not dangerous, even when he tries to be. You can’t just be so… jumpy like this all the time when we’re headed out to meet friends! That’s not cool!”

Blank swallowed. “…I know.”

Frisk shook their head, and looked at Blank. “I’m asking you nicely- please don’t throw any more of my friends over your shoulder unless I ask for it, okay? And I’m probably not gonna ask for that.”

 _“Goddammit Blank… Always one step forward, two steps back with you, isn’t it?”_ The Major chimed in irately. Blank’s eyes rolled behind his shades in annoyance. He privately thought it was good thing that he could express that without anyone noticing.

“heh. you just rolled your eyes, didn’t you?” Sans asked, grinning. “you really are a wet blanket, ain’tcha?”

Blank did a double take. How the _hell-?!_

“relax, bucko.” The smaller skeleton said. “we’re past all that stuff. i could just tell by the look on your face, even with those glasses on.”

Huh, so the skeleton was a cold reader, Blank thought. He’d heard of mentalists, like the famous Derren Brown some hundred years back. People who claimed to be able to hypnotize others, or read their minds. Some poker players also used this in the pro leagues. He remembered, during games after assignments, he was always trying to read-

No.

 _Focus on the mission,_ Blank told himself. _You just screwed up AGAIN and you decide to get lost in a reverie?_ He shook his head vigorously.

Sans noticed. “hey, you okay bub?”

“I’m fine.” Blank said too quickly. Frisk noticed this. “Blank?” They asked.

“Where are we going for lunch, anyways?” Blank asked, changing the subject.

“TO GRILLBY’S!” Papyrus said. “PERSONALLY, I’M NOT FOND OF GREASY PLACES, BUT IT WAS SANS’ TURN TO PICK WHERE WE EAT NEXT, AND I WOULD NEVER FLAKE OUT ON A LUNCH MEET WITH MY BEST FRIEND, THE HUMAN FRISK!”

Frisk smiled and waved off the skeleton’s words. “Alright, shall we get going?” They asked.

“Alright. We can take my car.” Blank said.

“pff. nah, don’t worry. I got a shortcut.” Sans said, grinning.

“A what-“ Blank asked, before Sans, took hold of Blank’s hand and suddenly, where the four of them were standing in front of the Dusk Apartment Buildings, they were now standing in front of a brick building with the unlit neon sign “GRILLBY’S.”

Blank blinked, and then he staggered where he stood, completely disoriented. He collapsed to his knees breathing heavily. “What was THAT?!”

“OH DEAR… SANS, YOUR SHORTCUTS HAVE CLEARLY MADE THE HUMAN’S GUARD LOSE HIS MIND!” Papyrus reprimanded his brother. Frisk looked concerned for the bodyguard. “…Blank?”

“give it a minute.” Sans said. “sometimes, people need to catch their breath after the first shortcut…”

“Well, you never forget your first…” Frisk said, grinning.

“FRISK, YOU ARE… HOW OLD EXACTLY?”

“Eleven!” Frisk answered.

“RIGHT! YOU ARE ONLY ELEVEN! YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING DIRTY JOKES LIKE THAT!”

“How’s that a dirty joke?” Frisk asked, eyebrow raised. “I mean, nobody forgets the first time they do something new! First time you ride a bike, first time you travel out of the country… What did you think I meant?”

“ERRRRR…” Papyrus looked flustered.

“i think you should quit while you’re ahead, bro… or should a say _a-skull_?” Sans cracked a pun, changing the subject.

“SAAAAAAAAANS!” Papyrus howled, drawing attention from passersby. Frisk giggled. Blank finally got to his feet.

“Okay…” Blank said. “Next time, we drive.” He said with an air of finality.

“Let’s go in and eat before we all freeze our _ices_ off!” Frisk said, still grinning. Sans chuckled, and Papyrus glared at his brother, clearly blaming him for influencing Frisk.

Blank shook his head as they walked in together. It was barely funny the first time… so what the hell was he grinning for?

**January 3rd, 211X. 1330 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**

Lunch was a surprisingly normal affair after the “introductions,” for lack of a better word. Papyrus, for one, was not fond of having to eat at Grillby’s, as he found the establishment greasy. Blank, for his part, liked the aesthetics of the pub. The orderless placement of the tables, the jukebox tucked away in the corner, the booths lining the right side as you walked in, the locals chatting, dining, and playing cards, and of course, the bar and its namesake, polishing glasses. Being a fire elemental with no facial identifiers except for a pair of glasses, Grillby gave off an intimidating, unscrupulous charm. He could see why Sans liked to frequent the place.

“you know i’m good for it, grillbz.” Sans said as they finished their lunch, putting it on his tab. Blank couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the deadbeat nature of it, but he wasn’t in the mood for asking questions after that debacle earlier.

“I AM GLAD THAT EVERYONE IS FED AND WATERED!” Papyrus said, a little too eager to exit the restaurant. “SO, FRISK! WHERE SHOULD WE GO TO NEXT? SURELY OUR ADVENTURE TODAY IS FAR FROM OVER?”

“Hmm…” Frisk mused. “Oh yeah! The park’s not far from here!”  
  
“AHA!” Papyrus exclaimed, as though he were a great detective having the euphoric moment of solving a case. “THE DIE IS CAST THEN! COME, EVERYONE! WE SHALL GO TO THE PARK!”

“you sure you don’t want me to use a shortcut?” Sans asked, grinning intentionally at Blank.

Blank was not amused. “No thanks.” He said curtly.

Neither was Papyrus. “REALLY, SANS! YOU CAN’T JUST TAKE SHORTCUTS ALL YOUR LIFE! I SWEAR, YOU ARE SO UNMOTIVATED!”

“heh.” Sans said, still grinning. “it was worth a shot.”  
  
The four of them made their way down a few blocks and over to the park. Frisk gasped in excitement as it came within their view. The park wasn’t in its usual lush and green glory; during the winter, it sported a bleaker aesthetic. Nevertheless, Frisk found it to be a good place to frequent, especially since the swings and the other playground equipment were always a given no matter the season.

“YO! Frisk!”

Especially since their best friend also liked to stop by.

“Hi Kid!” Frisk waved to Monster Kid as the tiny draconid ran over to greet the human. They gave their friend a hug, letting Kid lean into them since they didn’t have arms.

“And the Great Papyrus too!?” Kid gasped, getting a starry-eyed look as soon as he gazed upon the taller skeleton. Sans couldn’t help but smile wider.

“NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus chuckled. “I REMEMBER YOU!.... KID, CORRECT?”

“That’s me!” Kid confirmed, still smiling in awe.

“WELL OF COURSE! I NEVER FORGET A LOYAL FAN OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

Blank couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow behind his shades, but somehow, as if sensing it, Sans looked at the bodyguard as if to say ‘let him have the moment.’ He decided to acquiesce.

Kid turned to look at Blank. “Wooooow, who’s the new guy!? He looks big and tall enough to beat up all the teachers!!”

“This is Blank! He’s my new bodyguard!” Frisk smiled, gesturing to the taller human.

“...Hi.” Blank said in response.

“...Dude, this guy is so COOOL!” MK said, once again having the starry-eyed look. “Frisk, you wanna go on the see-saw?!”

“I TOO WOULD LIKE TO GO ON THE SEE SAW!” Papyrus said. “AFTER ONE OF YOU IS DONE! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Sans grinned widely. “heh. should’ve _seen-saw_ that one coming.”

“SAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS!”

The kids happily played on the see-saw while Papyrus walked away from his jokester brother and waited for one of them to get off. Sans, for his part, just sat on the bench, leaving Blank awkwardly standing around. His mind became as his code-namesake as he wondered what to do.  
  
_“Oh for god sake, Blank!”_ The Major chimed in, startling the bodyguard. _“Lean on the swingset, you’ll look so much cooler that way!”_

Blank rolled his eyes behind his shades, but stood by the swing, leaning on the bar frame. “What are you, my dad or something…?”

 _“I’ll be whatever the mission needs me to be, goddammit!”_ The Major replied. _“And speaking of which! your vigilance is always a boon Blank, but you can’t just be a geriatric nutcase and throw people like that! As your boss, I’m ordering you to chill out!”_

“He literally said ‘special attack…’” Blank muttered.

 _“If I wanted to hear whining, I’d get a pup!”_ The Major snapped. _“It’ll do you good to be more flexible! Stay vigilant, obviously, but don’t be such a goddamn wet blanket! Alpha, out!”_

Blank inwardly groaned. Great, so now the Major was calling him that too?

The rest of the day out at the park went by peacefully and happily, with Frisk and MK playing tag with Papyrus, who vigorously ran after the enbies. Before long, it was already time to say goodbye to MK. With that, the four left the park, Sans shortcutting back to their apartment.  
  
“Urrrgh…” Blank groaned.   
  
“You’ll get used to it!” Frisk said encouragingly.   
  
“I doubt it…” Blank replied.   
  
“heh. looks like you’ve got a good one.” Sans said. “take care, kid. and new guy? stay high n’ dry.”   
  
Frisk giggled as Blank reacted with as deadpan a look as he could muster.   
  
Papyrus waved goodbye. “FAREWELL, FRISK AND BLANK! I WILL MISS YOU BOTH VERY MUCH!”   
  
With the skeletons gone, the duo made their way back to the company car. For his part, Blank was just glad to be traveling by car like a normal person again.

...Seriously, teleporting was so overrated. He hated it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, and a kudo if you haven't already!


	4. Pew Pew

CHAPTER 3: Pew Pew  
  
**January 4th, 211X. 1100 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**

“So let me get this straight.” Blank said, taking in Frisk’s account of how they met Undyne as he sat in the passenger’s seat of Toriel’s minivan. “You went over to Undyne’s house… _after she tried to kill you?!_ ”

“Yep!” Frisk said. “And now we’re friends! And you’re going to get to meet her!” At the moment, Frisk, Blank, and Toriel were driving to the local Laser Tag Range to meet up with Undyne, her fiance Alphys, as well as Sans and Papyrus for a round of Laser Tag. It was the last day of Winter Break, and everyone seemed to agree it should be spent with everyone who could come. Frisk had also gushed about how the range had made harnesses and lasers for non-humanoids as a result of their political successes.

In regards to the bit about Undyne, Blank didn’t know how to respond.

Toriel gave the bodyguard a reassuring smile as she drove. “Worry not, Blank. Undyne is no more a danger to Frisk than I am… Well, she is more reckless, headstrong, and temperamental than I am, but she has more than proven herself to be a valuable friend and ally, especially in trying times.”

 _“You’ve heard the stories, Blank.”_ The Major chimed in, unable to be heard. _“This child could’ve probably befriended bloody Ted Bundy.”_

Blank, having no idea who the hell Ted Bundy was, inferred that he was probably someone bad.

Flowey’s pot sat in Frisk’s lap. “Are we there yet?” He asked, sounding bored.

“I have already told you for the past seven times, no, Flowey.” Toriel replied curtly. Her voice only just carried patience.

“UUUUUUUGH!” Flowey groaned, burying his face into the floor of his pot. “Kill me…”

Frisk stroked the flower’s body. “Maybe we should send you to Asgore’s when we’re done…?”

“NO.” Flowey said in his usual stubborn vehemence, shaking off the enby’s touch. Frisk couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Lately, Flowey had been more and more vocal and expressive…. Not to mention even more rude. At first, they thought he’d simply gotten used to living with people and had grown complacent about managing himself. This had been met with some talks where Flowey was given reassurances that he would always be loved and cared for no matter what. They were never sure how effective it was, based on how sullen and clammed up the flower got afterwards.

Blank, for his part, didn’t like the talking flower much. Frisk has explained to Blank that Flowey had no SOUL, and couldn’t feel compassion for others. While this raised questions, namely how Flowey was even alive- if that was the right word to begin with, the ambassador had assured Blank it was nothing to be worried about. For his part, Blank couldn’t help but disagree, especially when the flower made scary faces at him when nobody was looking.

“Ah, we are here!” Toriel announced as she pulled into the parking lot. Frisk was the first out of the vehicle; their visage being one of childish excitement in contrast to Flowey’s scowl. Blank and Toriel followed not long after.

“Finally…” Flowey muttered, sulking to himself.

“So that’s it?” Blank asked, looking at the building. It was fairly decent by Laser Tag range standards.

“Indeed!” Toriel said, walking with the others across the parking lot to the entrance. The doors, being automatic, opened up for the group as they proceeded inside. The temperature difference from the frigid January air was immediate, and Blank felt some comfort for the room temperature.

“eyyyyyyyyy, look who showed up.”

“Hey, PUNK! You ready to get rekt?!”

“Yeah!” Frisk responded happily.

Sans and Papyrus were there already, chatting with Undyne and Alphys as Frisk and the others walked inside. Passing Flowey over to Toriel, the former of whom looked away from the latter, Frisk went over to give their friends a hug.

“IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOO, FRISK!” Papyrus gave his friend a hug. “EVEN THOUGH WE ONLY SAW EACH OTHER JUST YESTERDAY! MY, HOW TIME FLIES!”

“given how quick it was… i guess you could say… time’s _earned its wings?_ ” Sans grinned while holding up a bucket of chicken wings.

“OH MY GOD- SAAAAAAAAAAAAANS!” Papyrus’ eye-sockets bulged with bugged out eyes in irritation.

“That’s right, Papyrus! FEEL THE DRIVE!” Undyne pumped her fist in the air. Blank couldn’t help but be reminded of a drill instructor or a cardio trainer looking at her. She noticed him and looked back. “Hey, who’s the new guy?!”

“Th-that must be Frisk’s new bodyguard…” Alphys said in her usual endearingly awkward tone. She shuffled in place, trying not to focus on how tall and broad Blank’s build was. She was engaged, after all. Engaged to an equally muscular and determined and strong, gorgeous, hot-

Okay, back it up, Alphys. Hoping she didn’t look sweaty, she took a deep breath. “I’m Alphys!” She looked around, not sure what to do next. “H-hi…!”

“Hi.” Blank responded back. Frisk went over to give their other friends hugs as well.

“THIS MIGHT ACTUALLY PRESENT A CHALLENGE TO YOU THIS TIME, UNDYNE!” Papyrus said. “I MEAN, HE CAN THROW ME OVER THE SHOULDER TOO!”  
  
“WAIT, WHAT?!”

Frisk grinned sheepishly. “He kinda… overreacted to Papyrus greeting him for the first time.” Toriel raised an eyebrow and looked at Blank. “Is this true?” She asked sternly.

“Hey, he said ‘special attack!’ What was I supposed to think!?”

“YOOOOOOOOU!”  
  
Oh great. Undyne was pissed.  
  
“Undyne! Calm down-” Alphys started, looking a bit panicked. But there was no stopping Undyne once she was riled up.

“YOU THINK IT’S OKAY TO ROUGH PEOPLE UP LIKE THAT?! NOBODY THROWS PAPYRUS LIKE THAT EXCEPT ME!” Undyne shouted, jamming a thumb at herself as she spoke and getting in Blank’s face. The bodyguard, for his part, didn’t react all that much except for raising his eyebrows.

“Not gonna say anything?!” Undyne snarled. She stared the bodyguard down for a few minutes that felt like a tense forever.

“ey, undyne?” Sans interjected. “the dude might be a wet blanket, but he ain’t a bad guy.”  
  
“Yeah!” Frisk spoke up. “Undyne, he’s here to protect me! He’s already saved my life once before!”

“REALLY?!” Papyrus exclaimed in surprise. “THAT’S INCREDIBLE, BLANK!”

Undyne looked to Frisk, Sans, and Papyrus, seemingly mulling over their words. “So you all say he’s a good guy, huh…?” Then, she gave a pointy-toothed smile which gave off an air of menace. “Alright… FINE! I KNOW THE PERFECT WAY TO SETTLE THIS!!!!”

Papyrus’ nervous expression broke out into a skeletal smile. “YOU MEAN…?”

“I CHALLENGE YOU TO A GAME LASER TAG! WE’LL SEE WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU REALLY ARE THROUGH COMBAT!” She offered Blank her hand. “WHADDYA SAY, HUH?!”

Blank looked at Undyne’s hand. He didn’t know what to do.

 _“You’ve been challenged, Blank!”_ The Major chimed in. _“You can’t take that lying down, you’ve got your sense of honor to think about!”_

“Hey…. Yeah!” Frisk said, eyes widening with realization. “Why not come play with us, Blank?! You could…” They did an imitation of Captain Falcon’s pose. “Show me your moves!”

“So what’s it gonna be, punk?!” Undyne demanded, pointing at Blank. “Are you gonna meet the challenge? Or are you just a COWARD?!”

At that moment, Blank’s eyes widened behind his shades, and the next thing he knew, Undyne and everyone else seemed very very distant from when and where he was.

_“You coward!”_

Blank shook his head for a moment before looking at Undyne. “....Get me a vest and blaster.” He said this with conviction.

Frisk gasped in excitement, while Sans stared at Blank for a moment before Papyrus spoke up. “SPLENDID! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL ALSO GLADLY RISE TO THIS NEW CHALLENGE!”

“I… I’ll just wait here.” Alphys said awkwardly, but also exhaling in relief that the confrontation had not escalated into violence. “I’ll cheer you all on though!”  
  
“Hey, I’ll fight for Papyrus AND you! C’mere!” Next thing Alphys knew, Undyne walked over to her, knelt down, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Nice!” Frisk said, pointing their fingers like guns.

Alphys’ face going completely red and needing to lean onto a table for support seemed to agree in the absence of of any words. Frisk noted that she seemed to be getting more and more used to that- in the beginning, her usual reaction would be to go red and faint outright.

“Oh dear…” Toriel said, shaking her head. “I guess I will also stay behind and watch over Flowey. I will be cheering you on though, Frisk!”  
  
“Thanks mom!”

Sans spoke up. “Welp. i guess we have our game set up.

“YEAH! LET’S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD! NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!” Undyne let out her signature battle cry.

“Alright…” Blank muttered to himself. “Now what, Major?”

 _“The die is cast, the gauntlet is thrown.”_ The Major said in reply. _“Make sure your aim’s straight and true.”_

“...Right.” Blank murmured to himself as he went to prepare for the game.

 

\---

 

**January 4th, 211X. 1130 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**

Blank felt… ridiculous.

Seriously, what even _was_ this?

He was wearing what was supposed to be a futuristic “armor vest” and equipped with a laser gun. He didn’t know about whether or not kids felt cool or protected wearing it, but he sure as hell wasn’t feeling either. The same went for the toy blaster. Shouldn’t function matter, not form? It was the same stupid logic that made spaceships sleek instead of sturdy-

Wait, what the hell was he thinking?! Why was he separated from Frisk?! They were going to be wandering around in a maze! What if some jerk with a gun snuck in and did them in while nobody was any the wiser?

“Major, I should be with Frisk…!” Blank told the Major over his lapel-comm. “I can’t leave them alone…!”

 _“Blank, remember what I told you?”_ The Major responded. _“I gave you an order to chill.”_

“Major, what if something happens?! I’m here for a reason!”

 _“If it was a breach of protocol, do you think I would’ve encouraged this?”_ The Major responded tiredly. _“Blank, it’s perfectly fine for bodyguards to take some breaks every now and then. If you’re so desperate to be a goddamn workaholic then, call it bloody target practice. It’ll help you get some exercise and also stop you from going stir crazy.”_

Blank rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

 _“Good. Now get a good shot in would you? Alpha, out!”_ And with that, the Major was gone. Great, Blank thought. He was slacking off as part of the job now… A part of him felt irritation at the comment about being rusty… He wasn’t rusty, dammit...

His thoughts were interrupted by the announcement. Everyone participating- that is to say, everyone minus Toriel, Alphys, and Flowey, had gone to a seperate entrance into the maze. Great, Blank thought. His job now entailed him to get hunted down in a maze with four other minotaurs and no string to lead him out.

**“The match will begin in five! Four! Three! Two! One!”**

Blank looked ahead as he heard the sound signaling the game started. Better get moving.

 

\-----

 

Undyne prowled the labyrinthine halls of the range, keeping an eye out for any tall humans in suits… Mess with her best friend, will he? He was gonna get it! She grinned at the thought of taking him by surprise like a complete nerd and blasting him. And like any real true hero, she was gonna say an anime line! Her pointed teeth became barred in a grin at the thought of it. It was the perfect revenge! Fufufufufufufufufufu…

 ...Then again…

 Undyne’s face turned serious as she considered that this punk had been assigned to guard Frisk’s life. Meaning that he wasn’t going to go down that easily. Even when she got in his face, he still kept that serious expression. It reminded her of how the Royal Guards wore visors to give the impression of protectors without emotions.

 Whoever this punk was, he was not to be underestimated. Good, Undyne thought. Because she wasn’t going to hold back. Then again, did she ever? No! Which is why she was going to avenge Papyrus! And nothing would stop her!

 Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of… footsteps? She grinned. Her first prey was already drawing near. Readying her gun, she prepared to face her foe. She turned the corner and…!

 “FOUND YOU, PUNK!!!”

 Blank swore as Undyne began to give chase, wearing an eager, toothy grin as she ran along after him, seemingly endowed with unending stamina. “YOU’RE MINE! THIS IS FOR PAPYRUS!” She fired her blaster- it was incredibly immersive, capable of firing harmless beams of light that resembled the actual laser blasters seen in various science fiction stories.

Blank called the Major in a panic as one of the blasts hit him- a shot to the sensor would get him out instantly; anywhere else would take three shots. “What the hell do I do?!”

 _“Well you can stop panicking for starters, you don’t look very dashing when you do so.”_ The Major replied.

“MAJOR!”

 _“Alright, fine!”_ The Major said. _“Keep making turns as much as you can. Also, run on your tiptoes! You’ll go faster! And try firing your blaster over your shoulder- you’re not unarmed for godsake!”_

Blank grumbled, but he complied, blindly firing a shot from over his shoulder and causing Undyne to swerve, giving him more of a lead. Growling, Undyne returned fire, but missed as Blank turned a corner.

“GET BACK HERE!” Undyne snarled as she continued to give chase. She didn’t have any idea where he was anymore, but she hadn’t lost him yet! She wasn’t giving up! Using what she called her hunter’s instincts, which were never wrong, even when it got her house burned down, she determined where the punk had gone and followed through…

...Only to run into Frisk.

The enby looked up at Undyne and slowly backed away, raising their blaster nervously. Undyne groaned. “UGH! WHERE’D THAT TALL PUNK GO?!”

“that’s gotta be the slowest running away i’ve ever seen, bucko.” A voice said just as Undyne was about to switch targets and blast Frisk. Undyne turned towards the sound of the voice.

Sans.

Growling in frustration, Undyne blasted Sans’ sensor. The light on his vest gave a buzzing sound. The shorter skeleton was out of the game.

“welp, that’s that.” Sans said, winking and grinning. “oh, and by the way, the kid ran off.”

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!” Undyne roared her battle cry and proceeded to run off in the direction Frisk headed.

 

\---

 

Frisk continued to run for their in-game life, hearing Undyne’s battle cry. She wasn’t far, the enby noted. They knew she was a lot faster than they were, remembering how she chased them. She was faster- and she was wearing heavy armor at the time.

They were thinking of maybe taking some corners and throwing her off when suddenly, they heard an all too familiar voice that really did bring back memories.

“Behind you.”

Frisk turned around. There, just outside of the corner they turned, was Undyne. “Already?!” Frisk gasped in both shock and excitement. Undyne already had her blaster pointed at their sensor and a killer aim- any sudden movements and they were out.

“Fufufufufufu!” Undyne chuckled. “I’ve got you now, nerd! I was looking for the taller jerk so I could get some payback for Papyrus, but I can’t find him! So I’ll just get you out, and then him! Omae wa… Mou shindeiru!”

“Nani?!” Frisk responded, knowing the anime quote and hoping to stall for time.

“Heyyyyyyy, you got it!” Undyne grinned. “Too bad it’s not gonna save ya’!”  
  
And with that, Undyne pressed the trigger…

Only for Blank to come out of nowhere and jump in the way. Just as her blast hit his sensor, he fired his own laser at Undyne, getting her out as well!

“NANI!?” Undyne exclaimed in shock. She looked down at her sensor, then at Blank. Her eye widened.

Blank looked up at her. “Guess we’re both out.”

Undyne paused for a moment, and then she offered him her hand. “Guess we are. And I also guess I was wrong about you. You’re a pretty cool human!”

Blank took it and stood up. “And you’re not so bad yourself, I guess.”

With that, the two of them took their leave. Frisk smiled. That was when they realized Papyrus was the only one left besides them! They grinned. Time to settle this!

Frisk wandered into the what appeared to be the center of the maze, looking for Papyrus. He was nowhere to be seen, and Frisk considered lowering their guard for a moment when a familiar voice rang out.

“HUMAN FRISK!”

Frisk looked around again at the sound of Papyrus’ voice. They couldn’t tell where he was; he seemed to be everywhere thanks to the room’s reverberative nature.

“LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLICATED FEELINGS! THE FEELING OF KNOWING THAT WE ARE THE ONLY TWO PARTICIPANTS LEFT! THE FEELING THAT ONE OF US IS GOING TO WIN AND LOOK REALLY COOL, WHILE THE OTHER WILL OFFER CONGRATULATIONS LIKE A GOOD SPORTSPERSON!”

Frisk smiled. “Well you can count on that, Papyrus! May the best Laser Tagger win! Now come on out!”

And with that, Papyrus appeared heroically! His red scarf fluttering like a cape in the wind, even though it was just the AC, and sporting his usual dashing, skeletal grin. His game armor actually went well with his battle body, and with his blaster in hand, he actually looked as though he could’ve co-starred in Mettaton’s next movie.

“NOT TO WORRY! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF MEETING YOUR CHALLENGE HEAD-ON!” The skeleton proclaimed. “NOW! LET US DO MOCK-BATTLE, BECAUSE A REAL BATTLE SOUNDS VIOLENT! AND I DON’T WANT TO DO A VIOLENCE!”

Frisk grinned. “You and me both, Papyrus!”

 

\---

 

Blank watched the standoff on the television set with everyone else who had gotten out in the waiting area, along with Toriel, Alphys, and Flowey. They were all enjoying some hot cocoa.

“Geez, you haven’t taken your eyes off that screen the whole time since you got here!” Flowey noted, looking at Blank with some form of bored incredulity. “Is being a couch potato part of the bodyguard job description?”

Blank said nothing in reply.

“Hello, I’m talking to you!” Flowey insisted impatiently.

“Hush, Flowey…” Toriel admonished. “He is watching over Frisk. THAT is part of his job.”

“Huh. I thought that was YOUR job…” Flowey muttered.

“What was that?” Toriel said sharply.

“Nothing!” Flowey said quickly.

“OH MY GOD!” Undyne raged. “I’M TRYING TO WATCH MY BESTIES HAVE AN EPIC BATTLE OVER HERE! DO YOU TWO MIND!?”

“Hey, no screaming!” One of the battlegrounds’ attendants admonished. Undyne was about to yell back at them regardless until a clawed hand reached up and took hold of her shoulder.

“C-calm down, Undyne…” Alphys tried to soothe her fiance. “Let’s just watch, okay?”

 Undyne grumbled in response, but it was noticeably more subdued.

“heh.” Sans said. “i guess you could say alphys… de-e- _scale-_ ated the situation?”  
  
Toriel couldn’t help but laugh at that one. Undyne and Flowey both glared at him.  
  
Blank watched as Frisk landed a shot on Papyrus- it was sudden death!  
  
“Oh!” Toriel cried, looking excited. “This is intense!”

It was down to the heat of the moment between the two friends as they ran, circling each other and firing off lasers. Sans was humming something from an old 1999 sci-fi film with an epic firefight scene. He grinned and nudged at Blank.  
  
“What?” The bodyguard asked.  
  
“c’mon, tell me you get it.” Sans said.  
  
“Get _what?_ ”

“eh, don’t worry about it too much… smith.”

“...What?”

 _“Don’t worry about it Blank.”_ The Major chimed in. _“This was well before your time. Mine too actually.”_

 Blank was irritated. “What the hell are you-”  
  
“SHUT UP BACK THERE!!!” Undyne raged. The attendant looked ready to admonish again but one glare from Undyne was enough to get them to meekly back off. Turning her attention back to the screen, she eagerly watched the standoff, anticipating who would deliver the final blow...

 

\---

 

Ever the master of dodging, Frisk continued to evade Papyrus’ blasts. Undyne was right, the enby thought. Papyrus actually was tough! They wondered if he really wasn’t cut out to join the Royal Guard all that time back…

...And then their thoughts were on something else entirely...

 No.

Frisk refused. They refused to dwell on that. It wouldn’t be until tomorrow, they thought. They took a deep breath, inhaling after they dodged yet another blast. Papyrus noticed and stopped right away. “HUMAN FRISK? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”  
  
“I-I’m fine…” Frisk said. “Come on! Let’s settle this!”

“IF YOU SAY SO!” Papyrus replied jovially as ever. “LET US CONTINUE!”

The two of them continued, and then…!

**“BZZT! Match Over! We have a Winner!”**

Frisk’s sensor was hit. They were out! Which meant…!

“WOWIE!” Papyrus exclaimed, eye-sockets sparkling in excitement. “I WON!”

Frisk smiled and nodded. “Yeah! GG, Papyrus!”

“GG?” Papyrus asked. “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?”

“It means good game.” Frisk said, extending their arm for a handshake. Papyrus accepted it vigorously.

“AH, A DISPLAY OF GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP!” Papyrus said haughtily. “YOU ARE TRULY AN ADVERSARY WORTHY OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

“Thanks!” Frisk replied, looking bashful. “C’mon! Mom and the others are waiting for us!”

“LET US GO THEN!” Papyrus exclaimed as though he were the brave king leading an army of knights on horseback. “BACK TO THE WAITING AREA WHERE WE CAN PARTAKE IN THE HOT COCOA AND PIZZA!”

“Way ahead of you!”

 

\---

 

 **January 4th, 211X. 1230 Hours. Ebottstown, Maine, USA.**  

The two of them had returned to the waiting area, where Papyrus was met with cheers and Frisk was met with pats on the back and commendations for being in the final two. Toriel picked them up, told them how proud she was, and kissed them on the cheek as they mock-protested. Papyrus, meanwhile was basking in the glory as Undyne patted him on the back and Sans said that he knew Papyrus could do it.

“You both did really good!” Alphys congratulated the skeleton.

“WELL, I WAS ONLY FOLLOWING MY TRAINING! ABSOLUTE FOCUS!” Papyrus replied modestly enough, though it was clear he was very proud of himself. Frisk couldn’t help but think that Papyrus deserved the win. He really put in the one hundred-ten percent.  
  
“And no giving up!” Undyne exclaimed cheerfully. “I say this calls for pizza!”

“I CONCUR!” Papyrus said, and then he sat down.

“Pbtttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttth!”

“wow, bro.” Sans said with a grin that threatened to split his skull in half. “the pizza’s not even here yet and you’re already _cutting the cheese.”_

“SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS!”

As the others made merry, Blank couldn’t help but notice that Frisk had wandered slightly away from the crowd. Blank got up and went to them.

“Hey.” The bodyguard greeted. “You okay?”

“Yeah!” Frisk said. “...Hey, thanks for taking that hit for me back there. That’s the second time you saved me!”

“That was a game.” Blank said. “Doesn’t count.”  
  
“It counts to me!” Frisk said, giving Blank a smile. “Seriously! I’m starting to think I won’t have anything else to worry about with you around!”  
  
“Well…” Blank murmured, looking away. He wasn’t used to hearing praise from charges. “It’s… just what I’m supposed to do.”

This prompted a strange response from Frisk. For a moment they looked… unhappy. It lasted for a split second, but Blank spotted it. “Hey, you okay?”

“Huh?” Frisk asked. Apparently, they were in a reverie. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

Lies, Blank thought. Something was up, but…

...No, he shouldn’t get personally involved.

“...Nothing.” Blank said, deciding to change the subject. “So, you excited to go back to school tomorrow?”

There it was again, only more noticeable this time. The same look from before flashed on Frisk’s face, only Blank could see there was something else in their expression now. On top of unhappy, Blank also spotted anticipation. Fear, even.

“Y-yeah!” Frisk said, trying not to sound too apprehensive. “I’m gonna see all my friends there! I can’t wait to let you meet them all!”  
  
Blank was about to reply when Toriel’s voice called out. “Frisk, sweetie! The pizza is here at the table! Please, come join us!”

“Alright!” Frisk near-shouted excitedly, as any eleven-year-old would for Pizza and rushed off. Blank was left standing there. Eyes narrowing behind his shades, he contacted the Major.

“You saw that, right?” Blank asked in a lowered voice. “The look on their face?”

 _“I’ve been alive long enough to know when someone’s keeping secrets.”_ The Major responded through Blank’s comm. _“Something is making them afraid. I can tell.”_

“Whatever it is, it has to do with school.” Blank said. “What do you think it could be?”

 _“You’ll likely find out.”_ The Major replied. _“And that’s because…?”_

Blank sighed. “A bodyguard doesn’t care what they protect their charge from, just that they get in the way first.”

 _“Precisely.”_ The Major responded approvingly. _“And speaking of which… Bravo for blocking that shot, Blank. That was definitely the work of an upstanding bodyguard.”_

“Will you give it a rest?” Blank asked exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. “You heard what I said to the kid, it was just a game. It wasn’t like they were in any real danger.”

 _“And yet you still acted accordingly.”_ The Major responded casually. _“I’m glad to see that kind of upstanding morale from you.”_

“Listen-”

“HEY!”

Blank turned. Undyne was standing behind him. She was looking at him, giving him a pointy-toothed grin.

“I just wanted to say! That was really cool, what you did back there, taking my shot for Frisk.” Undyne said, looking at Blank in approval. “Now I know I was wrong about you. That takes guts! I respect that!”

Blank decided not to fight it anymore. He just shrugged.

“Now c’mon!” Undyne said. “Come and have pizza with us! You’ve earned it!”

Conceding that there was no escaping his act of heroism during a non-dangerous situation, Blank sighed and nodded, going with Undyne, who gave him a clap on the back as they sat down for lunch. As they enjoyed themselves, Blank couldn’t get the look on Frisk’s face out of their mind. Whatever it was, he thought, he’d find out tomorrow when school began.


End file.
